Oral Answers to Questions

Andrew Bingham Excerpts

Monday 5th December 2016 Commons Chamber

[David Warburton (Somerton and Frome) (Con)]

6. What steps her Department is taking to confiscate money from criminals; and what plans she has further to strengthen the asset recovery regime.

[Andrew Bingham (High Peak) (Con)]

9. What steps her Department is taking to confiscate money from criminals; and what plans she has further to strengthen the asset recovery regime.

[The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Amber Rudd)]

Since 2010, £1.2 billion of criminal assets have been recovered, and a further £3 billion have been frozen. The Serious Crime Act 2015 provided new powers, and the Criminal Finances Bill will further improve our capability, but there is more to be done. Next year we will publish a new asset recovery action plan, and the Cabinet Office will look at the UK’s response to economic crime more broadly. This will include looking at the effectiveness of our organisational framework and the capabilities, resources and powers available to the organisations that tackle economic crime.

--- Later in debate ---

[Andrew Bingham]

What my right hon. Friend says is welcome, but can she assure me that the asset recovery regime will extend to all forms of crime, and particularly tax evasion? The potential financial gains from tax evasion are large, and whatever people think about it being a victimless crime, it is wrong, and the regime should apply to it as well.

[Amber Rudd]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. That is an important part of the new proceeds of crime legislation, and, yes, it will be included in it.